Maidstone Explode Into Life While Tooting Implode

Maidstone United 3 – 0 Tooting & Mitcham                                            Saturday 9^th March
Attendance: 1,851

A quick fire double on the hour mark swiftly followed by a red card to Mitcham’s Nathan Koo-Boothe, rounded off by a deserved Steve Watt goal, stretched Maidstone’s unbeaten run to eight games and kept them six point clear or Dulwich.

The deadlock was broken on 57 minutes after an Alex Flisher free-kick found Steve Watt in space only for his header to crash against the crossbar, but fortunately Ian Draycott was on hand to grab the rebound six yards out.

Just a minute later and it was two for the home side after a brilliant team move. The returning Shaun Welford lay off Draycott to shoot but caught everyone by surprise when he dipped a shoulder to cut a pass through Mitcham’s defence finding Alex Flisher on the run to slot home at the ‘keepers near post.

As the restart began however when the linesman adjudged Koo-Boothe to use abusive language towards him and, after a while discussing, sent the centre-back off to leave the away team even more deflated.

Their third was as simple as they come with Flisher taking a long throw finding Steve Watt rising above the rest to head home the third and final goal to kill off their opponents.

The game didn’t start how manager Jay Saunders had hoped though with his team “lacking in the final third,” he said, “whether our final ball, or shot, or pass just wasn’t there.”

The home side definitely had a game plan to exploit the 4-3-3 formation they had deployed and use the wings but in the first half there wasn’t much to shout about as neither side was able to get a rhythm in their passing going.

The second half began in a completely different fashion to the first with the game opening up massively and in the opening ten minutes each side had more shots on goal than the entire first half.

Anthony Joseph for Tooting & Mitcham up against Tommy Osborne was an interesting battle that went on throughout the match with Joseph looking the away sides main threat going forward but Osborne held his own all the way through.

As Maidstone grew with confidence it showed in the way they were playing and got their just rewards from two goals in the space of two minutes on the hour mark and the away side down to ten men.

The third goal arrived on the 66^th minute and after that it was joyous for the home fans and on 70 minutes was treated to, arguably, the best move of the season.

Osborne switched the play from right to left to find Stuart King who then executed a trick pass back to Tom Mills, Mills then passed onto the running Flisher who back heeled for King in the penalty box but unfortunately for everyone watching he sliced it wide.

That move alone brought a standing ovation from the crowd and an appreciation of the way their team played this afternoon.

After the game manager Jay Saunders was staying coy on his chances of the title as yet against Dulwich giving respect to other teams he is yet to play, but he did talk about his continuous change in formations over the season.

“I know a lot of teams that have come up here and said ‘oh i thought you’d play 4-4-2’,” he said, “I’ve got a good squad and it gives me options.”

He may need a few more of them surprises to keep off the title charge from Dulwich, but with players such as Alex Brown and Michael Phillips returning next week, and others almost back, he will most likely have something left for the title fight.